Traditional Arts - Folk Art

الفنون التراثية (Traditional Arts)

الفن الشعبي (Folk Art)

Folk art is an important part of popular tradition or folklore.
It is a creative material created by the people, expressing their thoughts and conscience.
It blends the historical cultural heritage with human experience in everyday life.
Folk arts reflect the heritage of peoples or what many call folklore.
Folklore transmits the customs, opinions, and feelings of societies, generation after generation.

Definition of Folk Art

Folk art is mostly utilitarian or decorative art.
It is created by an unaffluent social class of peasants, artisans, and tradespeople who live in rural areas of civilized but not highly industrialized societies.
It also encompasses nomadic groups like gypsies.
Such places can still be found in areas of Central and Eastern Europe and possibly in areas on other continents, although their number is shrinking.

Historical Acceptance

There was no acceptance of "folk art" as a special category until the late 19th century.
It was first confined to the art of European peasants - "the art of the earth".
The intellectual and cultural climate attached exaggerated romance to the simple life of the general public.
Handmade art using traditional tools had great appeal to the urban mainstream after the Industrial Revolution.
This unrealistic appreciation of rural life, fuelled by the aesthetics of the arts and crafts movement championed by William Morris et al., led to "folk art" being considered anything primitive or homemade - an art that preserved the heritage of culture.

Characteristics of Folk Art

Instinct and Simplicity:
- The artist paints his instinct without restrictions.
- Folk art is distinguished by its simplicity and beauty.
Shapes, Colors, and Socio-Economic Influence:
- Shapes and colors are used that are commensurate with the purposes and are affected by economic and social variables.
Inspiration from Myths and Popular Stories:
- Works are inspired by myths and popular stories such as Abi Zaid Al Hilali, Antar Bin Shaddad, and Qais and Layla.
Love for Beauty and Decoration:
- The artist loves beauty and decorates everything that falls on his eyes, from cooking utensils and home furniture.
Art of the Masses:
- Popular art is an aesthetic art that does not know individualism because it is the art of the masses.
Familiar Topics and Societal Needs:
- The popular artist deals only with the topics that he knows, inherited knowledge, and responds to the needs of the society in which he lives.
Mental vs. Visual Reality:
- Drawing for the popular artist represents a mental reality more than it represents a visual reality.
Drawing as an Alternative to Speech:
- Drawing is a definition of things by drawing as an alternative to speech, and it illustrates in one image a group of scenes as if they were telling a story.
Disregard for Perspective:
- Popular art does not recognize the rules of perspective.
Use of Natural Materials:
- "Folk Art" tends toward natural materials like wood, straw, clay, etc.
- Miniatures are a typical "folk art" discipline.

Subjects of Folk Art

Popular photography subjects are often divided into four sections:
- Drawing popular biographical topics such as Antara Ben Shaddad and Al Hilali biography.
- Drawings of religious themes such as The Stories of the Holy Quran.
- Drawings of mythical themes are related to the world of the unseen, the spirit, the jinn, and the angels.
- Drawings of historical themes such as those depicting tournaments.

Symbols in Folk Art

Each symbol of folk art has a meaning that indicates a psychological significance that predicts the basic motives for which the symbol was used in folk art.
- Dove: Symbolizes love and peace.
- Flowers and Bouquets of Roses: Symbolize affection and joy, often combined with two opposite fish.
- Snake: Symbol of evil and hatred.
- Sword: Symbol to fight evil.
- Blue Eye: Symbol to ward off envy.
- Fish: A desire to reproduce.
- Eve's Apple: Symbol of temptation.
- Peacock: Symbol of good luck.